986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners - View Single Post - Can i install a self contained subwoofer under the seat with the stock amp?

robdelorenzo · 03-01-2020, 08:21 AM

I Here’s my .02 - I like to FEEL bass, as well as hear it. The only way to do that is to move lots of air. Fortunately, we are dealing with a very small space.

I have found that my Kicker 10” amp/enclosure really does the trick. I have it mounted behind the passenger seat with a nylon web strap that holds it in a vertical position. If I release the strap and move the seat forward I can also lie it flat and facing up. In this position, it really does the trick and isn’t muffled by having a seat in front of it.This of course depends on whether or not I have a passenger.

The size of the passenger matters, as well. A small child or an NBA Player determines which position to use.

The type of music I am listening to also often determines how much bass I need.

In the upright position, I lose maybe a 1/2” of rear travel in the seat. Most average sized riders never notice it until their seat starts booming.

Obviously, it doesn’t hit as hard as a 15” does, but the fact that it’s literally inches away from my head makes up for that.

It has a built in 150 watt amp and a steel enclosure, so it’s rugged and well built. There are a number of these on the market at different price points.

It’s plenty loud, even on the freeway with the top down and a passenger.

I looked at a lot of options before I bought a used one of these on Fleabay for about $100. I looked at the plans floating around on here to build an enclosure in the passenger footwell, custom fiberglass jobs for $1500, etc. etc. I still kept coming back to the simple laws of physics, “You gotta move a lot of air” To do that it takes wattage, cone size, and a few other simple ingredients.

One option that intrigued me were the square shaped and/or shallow mount woofers, but by this point my head was spinning. Look around, there are all kinds of somewhat limited options. We are working with a very small space and one can buy an el cheapo powered sub for a little bit or spend a ton of money on a custom enclosure.

This is a bit long winded, perhaps. But when I was doing my searches, I never saw anything on here about self contained, powered enclosures. I hope this helps.

As a well known guitarist once said, “This one goes to 11”.

03-01-2020, 08:21 AM	#5
robdelorenzo Registered User Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 356	I Here’s my .02 - I like to FEEL bass, as well as hear it. The only way to do that is to move lots of air. Fortunately, we are dealing with a very small space. I have found that my Kicker 10” amp/enclosure really does the trick. I have it mounted behind the passenger seat with a nylon web strap that holds it in a vertical position. If I release the strap and move the seat forward I can also lie it flat and facing up. In this position, it really does the trick and isn’t muffled by having a seat in front of it.This of course depends on whether or not I have a passenger. The size of the passenger matters, as well. A small child or an NBA Player determines which position to use. The type of music I am listening to also often determines how much bass I need. In the upright position, I lose maybe a 1/2” of rear travel in the seat. Most average sized riders never notice it until their seat starts booming. Obviously, it doesn’t hit as hard as a 15” does, but the fact that it’s literally inches away from my head makes up for that. It has a built in 150 watt amp and a steel enclosure, so it’s rugged and well built. There are a number of these on the market at different price points. It’s plenty loud, even on the freeway with the top down and a passenger. I looked at a lot of options before I bought a used one of these on Fleabay for about $100. I looked at the plans floating around on here to build an enclosure in the passenger footwell, custom fiberglass jobs for $1500, etc. etc. I still kept coming back to the simple laws of physics, “You gotta move a lot of air” To do that it takes wattage, cone size, and a few other simple ingredients. One option that intrigued me were the square shaped and/or shallow mount woofers, but by this point my head was spinning. Look around, there are all kinds of somewhat limited options. We are working with a very small space and one can buy an el cheapo powered sub for a little bit or spend a ton of money on a custom enclosure. This is a bit long winded, perhaps. But when I was doing my searches, I never saw anything on here about self contained, powered enclosures. I hope this helps. As a well known guitarist once said, “This one goes to 11”. Last edited by robdelorenzo; 03-01-2020 at 08:26 AM.